Pada’idi Kitchen Garden: the heartbeat of Massila Village

Dinnar Diandra Anugera Tejamulyawan
Forest Resource Conservation and Ecotourism student, IPB University
Intern, CIFOR-ICRAF Indonesia

---

Every week, the Instagram account @kebundapurpadaidi shares simple snapshots of daily life in Massila Village: women planting seedlings, watering and fertilising crops, while men repair garden beds or gather harvested vegetables to take home. Together, these activities capture a garden that is more than just a plot of land – it is also a shared learning space that has grown out of a shared spirit.

A plot of once-unproductive land has become a hub for climate-smart agriculture that brings happiness to many families. The land belongs to Ibu Nilma, as she is commonly known, who donated it for communal use. The garden, covering around 120 square metres, is now managed collectively, with every member able to take part in its care and management.

The story of Kebun Dapur Pada’idi keeps growing, not only on the land but also in the digital space. The Instagram account @kebundapurpadaidi serves as both a promotional and educational platform on kitchen gardens and climate-smart agriculture. Run directly by Ibu Nilma in her role as secretary of the learning group, the account regularly showcases planting, maintenance and harvesting activities.

“Yes, the aim is really to share, and at the very least to motivate others like us who work in agriculture, and to keep bringing benefits to many people,” said Ibu Nilma.

‘Pada’idi’ and the togetherness of Massila Village

The name “Pada’idi” comes from the Bugis language, meaning “together”, “of one will” or “fellow kin”. The philosophy embedded in the word “Pada’idi” reflects the strong emotional bond among family members or people bound together, as well as an expression of togetherness and solidarity within Bugis culture. This spirit of togetherness later met the scientific approach of climate-smart agriculture (CSA) introduced by CIFOR-ICRAF Indonesia through the Land4Lives action-research project.

Read also:

• Village funds to realise food security
• Backyard kitchen gardens help address the impacts of climate change
• Growing rice in a small yard

The birth of Kebun Dapur Pada’idi owes much to the role of CIFOR-ICRAF Indonesia. Through a series of training sessions with CIFOR-ICRAF, the Pada’idi Learning Group came to know cultivation techniques that are adaptive to climate change and suited to the characteristics of Massila Village.

Activities at Kebun Dapur Pada’idi began in February 2023. The group’s first step was improving the garden’s soil condition using various organic materials such as manure and compost. Once the reddish soil had been loosened, the first vegetables were planted at Kebun Dapur Pada’idi in July 2023.

“It took around three to four months before the garden could finally be planted with vegetables,” said Sumilia, a CIFOR-ICRAF Indonesia field officer who accompanies the Pada’idi Learning Group.

Today, every member has their own duty schedule. Each day, two women and one man take turns managing the garden. During the dry season in particular, this duty roster focuses on watering, to maintain a reliable water supply for the vegetables being grown.

In the garden, male members are usually more involved in land management tasks that require physical effort, such as hoeing, clearing land or preparing garden beds. Female members, meanwhile, play a major role in the various stages of vegetable cultivation, from seeding and planting to daily plant care. This division of labour makes garden management run more effectively, as it matches the capacities of each group member.

Kebun Dapur Pada’idi and CIFOR-ICRAF

Sumilia explained that, from the perspective of the Land4Lives project, the establishment of Kebun Dapur Pada’idi – along with other kitchen gardens spread across Land4Lives’ 12 pilot villages in Bone – is an initiative to improve village communities’ access to healthy and nutritious vegetables. Land4Lives, funded by the Government of Canada, aims to strengthen the resilience of vulnerable communities in facing the dynamics of climate change.

At Kebun Dapur Pada’idi, a wide variety of vegetables are grown organically, without the use of chemicals. The crops grown include sources of carbohydrates, protein, minerals and other nutrients, in line with the principle of a Diverse, Nutritious, Balanced and Safe (B2SA) diet. Some of the vegetables grown include aubergine, tomato, chilli and water spinach (as staples that are always planted), interspersed with cucumber, mustard greens and long beans.

Some of the vegetables grown in Kebun Pada’idi come from seeds saved from previous harvests, and can even be propagated for up to three generations. This reflects an adaptation process for local seeds that can be regenerated sustainably, without reliance on commercial seed.

In addition to growing vegetables and developing seedlings, group members also produce compost to maintain the productivity of the kitchen garden’s land. The use of compost is one aspect of sustainable garden management, as it helps maintain soil fertility.

The group has now produced around two tonnes of compost, which is used in the garden as well as sold to nearby farmers. Compost production is one of the business units run collectively by members of the Pada’idi group.

Impact and production sustainability

The climate-smart agriculture system introduced by ICRAF Indonesia has had a significant impact on Kebun Dapur Pada’idi. Members’ farming practices now have far greater productivity and resilience, supported by more fertile soil conditions.

“Now, when we farm, the growing period for a single crop can last longer – aubergine, for example, can be productive for almost a year before it needs replanting. The soil we plant in is also far more fertile, because we use organic fertiliser without any chemical mixture,” said Ibu Nilma.

The seed house, also established with support from Land4Lives, forms part of the kitchen garden’s support system. It enables the garden to be managed sustainably: seed production and garden planting run in parallel, so seeds are always available and never hold up the planting process.

Vegetables can be harvested at varying intervals, depending on the type. All group members can take home part of the harvest for personal consumption, while any surplus is usually sold, with the proceeds going into the group’s fund. This fund is then used to meet the group’s needs and sustain the garden itself, such as garden maintenance, materials and other expenses.

“We are very happy and grateful to receive guidance from CIFOR-ICRAF Indonesia, as it has helped us learn climate-smart farming practices,” said Ibu Nilma.

“Most importantly, this garden has helped us reduce our daily expenses, because we can now meet our vegetable needs straight from the garden.”

Kebun Dapur Pada’idi reminds us that food security solutions do not always require advanced technology or major investment. Sometimes, what is needed is simply the willingness to share, to learn together and to adapt wisely.

This story from Massila Village can serve as an inspiration for other villages across Indonesia. With a climate-smart agriculture approach and a spirit of togetherness, every village has the potential to build its own food security – starting with a kitchen garden. []

Editors: Pijar Anugerah, Sumilia, Dikdik Permadi

---

This article was written by a partner and published with their permission. The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not represent the official views of CIFOR-ICRAF Indonesia.

---

Originally published in Indonesian as “Kebun Dapur Pada’idi dalam denyut Desa Massila” on lahanuntukkehidupan.id